Ritter Public Library reopens with new protocol, services for patrons

Ritter Public Library, 5680 Liberty Ave. in Vermilion, has reopened with new protocol and additional services in place for the community.

As a part of the library’s reopening plan, hours of operation also were cut, with Mondays and Tuesdays to be closed as of June 8.

Library hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.

The first hour of operation every day will be reserved for senior citizens and those with health disabilities.

Library director Joy Walk said the cuts in hours are due to financial constraints for the library that start at the state level.

A great deal of Ritter library’s funding comes from the state’s public library fund, which comes from the Ohio’s general fund that took a hit due to novel coronavirus, Walk said.

“Because of the economy taking a dip, that general revenue fund is not as strong as it has been in the past,” she said.

The services are needed more than ever by residents, making it vital that the library remains open in some capacity, Walk said.

“We’ve seen a lot of familiar faces, which is good to see,” she said. “We live in a community with a lot of summertime residents, and we’ve seen a lot of that as well.”

The circulation of items is happening at the library, but is done by phone or online requests instead of browsing.

If available, items requested from Friday through Sunday will be available on Wednesday afternoons.

Walk said sanitation also is a priority for the library, with personal protective equipment readily available, even before the library opened.

With computer services still available to the public in hourly sessions, Walk said disposable bags are replaced on the keyboards and mice of every computer after sessions, as well as the station sanitized.

It’s important that these computers are available so that people have access to the Internet to file for unemployment, job search or file their taxes.

The Ritter Public Library Foundation had donated funding for additional online resources through the library, including a summer reading program.

Walk said the library aims to strengthen its online resources, which includes online career training.